[CYM] 30.0 Fast Without Showing Off

Yeshua addresses the heart behind fasting in the Sermon on the Mount, calling His followers to practice spiritual disciplines for God’s glory—not for human attention.

In Matthew 6:16–18, Yeshua says:

Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

This command teaches that fasting is meant to be a private act of devotion, not a public performance. In Yeshua’s time, religious leaders often made a show of their fasting to appear holy. Yeshua rebukes this practice, insisting that true spiritual acts should be God-focused, not people-pleasing.

Fasting, like prayer and giving, is to be done in secret, with the sincere intention of drawing closer to God, not earning human praise.

Though this specific teaching appears in Matthew, the principle of avoiding spiritual hypocrisy is found across the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. In Luke 18:9–14, Yeshua tells of a Pharisee who boasts about fasting twice a week, yet it is the humble tax collector who is justified before God.

Yeshua’s command is clear: when fasting, maintain normal appearance and attitude, letting your heart, not your image, be transformed. The true reward of fasting is found in intimacy with the Father, not the recognition of others.